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Tuesday, September 05, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023

Funding for weed removal to help preserve the endangered Laysan Albatross population is sought by Friends of Midway Atoll.
Photo from U.S. Fish & Wildlife

Wisdom’s grand chick DJ33 was discovered in 2023 by crew in search
 of Verbesina. Friends of Midway Atoll Photo by Jon Brack
FRIENDS OF MIDWAY ATOLL SEEKS FUNDS FOR WEED REMOVAL TO HELP ENDANGERED LAYSAN ALBATROSS NEST THERE. Friends of Midway reports that searching for tiny sprouts of Verbesina under thick pockets of native naupaka is not an easy task. 
    According to Supervisory Wildlife Biologist Jon Plissner, trying to eradicate the last one percent of Verbesina at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is considered the hardest physical job on Midway. 
    The refuge is located about 1,500 miles northwest of Kaʻū and numerous Kaʻū and Volcano residents have volunteered there.
    In 2011, Verbesina covered 70 percent of the atoll’s islands. Today there is only one percent remaining. However, this one percent is perhaps the hardest to eliminate because it hides deep in the thick of the native naupaka stands where growth conditions can be optimal for even the most dormant Verbesina seeds.
    On Sand Island, adult flowering plants are still visible requiring expedient efforts to clip seed heads and then treat the area around the plant. To find seed banks, dropped seeds and even mature plants, a work crew must either pull Naupaka from its roots during the end of summer when most ground-nesting seabirds are not present or literally hack their way through naupaka, creating tunnels to be able to sight the tiniest of sprouts. Once a seed bank has been located, the crew then treats the area with an herbicide mix that includes the pre-
Albatross take advantage of cleared pathways through
naupaka to find the shortest route to the sea.
 Friends of Midway Atoll Photo by Rachel Santulli
emergent Aminopyralid. The cocktail is intentionally colored blue, so it becomes a visible indicator of areas that have already been treated.
    The Midway crew reports that "Ironically, the newly created naupaka tunnels become critical pathways to the sea for albatross, and it was a Verbesina crew that found Wisdom’s chick nesting near naupaka this past nesting season!" Wisdom is known as the oldest banded wild bird in the world, her nesting at Midway recorded since she was first banded in 1956.
    Friends of Midway Atoll is asking for help to continue crewmember Rachel Santulli's position through November 2023. A statement from the organization says: "With the support of our members and donors, FOMA is well positioned to match an anonymous donor’s generous gift to ensure that the work of Midway’s program to completely eradicate this noxious weed continues towards its historic goal." See fundraiser on Facebook
at https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofMidwayNWR/.
    Another problem on Midway is the abundance of plastics that float in from the ocean. Up to 40 percent of the Laysan Albatross chicks die each year when their stomachs become full as they ingest indigestible plastics.




Colleen Lasham
Tara Lasham
TWO WOMEN LAST SEEN IN OCEAN VIEW ARE SOUGHT BY HAWAI'I POLICE DEPARTMENT. Hawai‘i Island police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating 67-year-old Colleen Lasham, and her daughter, 39-year-old Tara Lasham, both of Kailua-Kona, who are wanted for questioning relative to a custodial interference investigation.
    According to police, the two women may be in the company of Tara’s six-year-old daughter, Soenne Grimes. Tara is wanted on an arrest warrant and for questioning in the same custodial interference investigation. Since last October, police have issued several requests to the public to be on the lookout for Tara and her daughter.
    Colleen Lasham is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, 120 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. Colleen may be operating a 2022 Black BMW bearing Hawaii plate ZKM389 or a 2018 Orange Toyota Tacoma bearing Hawaii plate ZFX062. Colleen is known to frequent north and south Kona, Ka‘ū, and Hilo. Tara Lasham is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, 130 pounds, with blue 
Soenne Grimes
eyes and blonde hair. She is known to frequent both the north and south Kona areas. Soenne Grimes is described as 3 feet 5 inches tall, 35 pounds, with blue eyes and blonde hair.
    All three were last seen on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, in Ocean View. 
    Police ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of either Colleen or Tasha Lasham to call the police department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311 or contact Officer Jeremiah Hull by phone at (808) 326-4646, ext. 302. or by email at Jeremiah.Hull@hawaiicounty.gov.
    Those who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
















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Monday, September 04, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs, Monday, Sept. 4, 2023

Uēkahuna provides the most spectacular views of the summit of Kīlauea. NPS Photo/J.Robinson



AFTER DARK IN THE PARK ON TUESDAY FEATURES THE HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY ON UĒKAHUNA: A LEGACY OF SCIENCE. The talk begins Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. at Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium. 
    The invitation to the public event says, "Perched high on the rim of Uēkahuna since the late 1940s, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has been the hub of research and monitoring of Hawaiian volcanoes. The Reginald T. Okamura Building, constructed in 1985 and the heart of the observatory, was damaged beyond repair during the earthquakes of 2018. Join Don Swanson, who has a 55-year association with the observatory, as he takes us through the science conducted at this remarkable facility and the legacy being carried into the future."
    This Hawai‘i Volcanoes' ongoing After Dark in the Park is sponsored by the Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Free, but park entrance fees apply.


THE DEATH OF AN OCEAN VIEW MAN BY FOUR DOGS MAULING HIM in the 92-2000 block of Outrigger Drive on Aug. 1 has sparked calls for charging the dog owners under a new law that could be strengthened. The law that passed in 2022 followed the death of an 85-year-old woman in Puna. It makes bodily injury or death caused by an unprovoked dog attack a Class B felony. Consequences include up to a $25,000 fine, up to ten years in prison, and court-ordered restitution. It allows for the humane destruction of the guilty dogs.
    The owners of the dogs that killed the Ocean View man are under investigation under the law. A headline in Sunday's Hawaiian Tribune-Herald newspaper, said, "Still no arrests or charges in Ocean View dog attack." It is more than a month since 71-year-old Bob Northrop was killed by the dogs.
Bob Northrop was killed by dogs in Ocean View.
A Celebration of Life will be held this Saturday,
Sept. 9 at 2 p.m. at St. Jude's in Ocean View.
   Tribune-Herald writer John Burnett reports on his conversation with Capt. Akira Edmoundson of Hawai‘i Police Department's West Hawai‘i Criminal Investigation Division. Edmoundson said that when the investigation is completed, it will be sent to the county prosecutors to determine whether the dog owners will be charged. The dogs, a Staffordshire bull terrier and three of pit bull mix, have been seized and euthanized, along with ten of their puppies.
       Burnett also reports on another case. Owners of three dogs that went to the neighbor's yard in May and attacked a 32-year-old woman and her mother in Ainaloa are charged under the law. They pleaded not guilty and a hearing is set for Sept. 29. In that case, the younger victim suffered two broken arms, lacerations and puncture wounds. The older woman's injuries were not as severe.
    According to Shannon Matson, daughter of the Ocean View victim, Northrop was walking to a friend's house from his home when the dogs attacked and killed him. Matson told The Ka‘ū Calendar that his death still seemed unreal to her since he was such a dog lover. She also said she went to her father's house and has removed and adopted Northrop's own puppy who is living with her now. 
    Matson, who is active in public service, is an aide at the County Council and is working with council members to see if the new law can be strengthened. She said she is shocked her father's death represents the second time the new law has been used this year alone to prosecute and investigate deadly dog attacks.
    Council member Michelle Galimba, who represents Ocean View was quoted earlier by Big Island Now concerning Northrop's death. “If the dogs had been secured in a fenced area or kennels, this would have been preventable.”
    Northrop was a school bus driver at the time of his death and also a retired county inspector and a glazier and carpenter. A Life Celebration will be held this Saturday, Sept. 9, at 2 p.m. at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View.
  

NEUROPLASTICITY & RESILIENCE: HOW TO BE RESPONSIVE RATHER THAN REACTIVE. That's the talk for Third Thursday this month, announced by non-profit Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center, which hosts the free session on Sept. 21 as part of its Finding Solutions, Growing Peace Brown Bag Lunch Series. Talks are from noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom.
Indy Rishi Singh
   This month's speaker is Indy Rishi Singh who invites attendees to learn tools to tap into the brain's capacity to grow and evolve in response to life experiences. He asks, "Do you want to have happier and healthier relationships; a more resilient immune system and better digestion; and a deep appreciation for playfulness, curiosity, and courage—as well as learn how to breathe well, be a better listener, and better support yourself and others?" 
   Singh is a well-being engineer. He leads corporate wellness workshops and retreats with Fortune 500 companies; provides burnout and resilience retreats and workshops for healthcare workers, law enforcement, and activist organizations; presents mindfulness workshops with students in schools and universities; and is an active volunteer locally and globally. Singh is part of the non-profit Cultivating Self, a community of empowered healers.
    Ku‘ikahi's Brown Bag Lunch Series is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to enjoy an informal and educational talk-story session and connect with others interested in "Finding Solutions, Growing Peace."
    To get the Zoom link, register online at https://freebrownbagtalk.eventbrite.com. For more information, contact Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center at (808) 935-7844 or info@hawaiimediation.org. Or visit www.hawaiimediation.org.
    This lunch-and-learn series is made possible thanks in part to funding from the County of Hawai‘i and Hawai‘i Island United Way.

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Sunday, September 03, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs, Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023

Bon Dancing returns to Pāhala Hongwanji and everyone is invited on Saturday, Sep. 16. Photo by Clement Hirae

Hongwanji President Wayne Kawachi
and Kiko Ando in Aloha Yutaka designed
by Ando. Photo by Minako Yamazaki
BON DANCE AND OBON SERVICES ON SATURDAY, SEPT. 16 will welcome the entire Kaʻū
The grand bell at Pāhala Hongwanji will watch over
Obon Dance to close out this year's Obon season on
Saturday, Sept. 16. Photo by Julia Neal
community to Pāhala Hongwanji. 
There will be Pāhala Taiko drumming, dancing in the round with people in traditional costumes circling the tower, with singing, flutes, drums and other music. Everyone is invited to join in the dance, performed by participants from around the island. Also on tap are aikido demonstrations.
    The Pāhala Hongwanji Bon Dance will be the last one at Buddhist temples around Hawai‘i island during this Obon season. The Bon Dance honors those who came before, a celebration of the harvest with the presentation of fresh vegetables, fruits and other foods for ancestors on the temple altar.
The final celebration of Obon season begins with a ceremony in 
the mission sanctuary to honor ancestors and the harvest. 
Photo by Julia Neal
  A traditional Hatsubon service begins at 4 p.m., followed by the dance. Keiki and adults can participate in making traditional, handmade Hachimaki headbands to wear. Food and other refreshments will be available for sale, including maki sushi. Japanese wind charms from Pāhala Hongwanji Taiko will be offered for sale.
    Soto Michi Dojo will be open in the old Japanese schoolhouse on the temple grounds with short aikido demos between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., and sensei will be available to talk story about aikido and classes. Dojo members have also volunteered to clean the grounds and direct parking for the event.
    This is the first Bon Dance at Pāhala since the Covid pandemic began. The address is 96-1123 Pa‘au‘au Pl., Pāhala.

USING REMOTE ACOUSTIC MONITORING TO DISTINGUISH VOLCANIC STYLES is the subject of this week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates:
    Volcanic eruptive activity may take many forms, from gently erupting basaltic fissures in Hawai‘i to intense explosive eruptions like those of Mount St. Helens. Volcano observatory scientists are keenly interested in understanding such events and their implications for hazards. Two types of eruptions have been the focus of recent studies at Stromboli in Italy.
    Volcano observatories often use continuous remote monitoring instruments like seismometers and acoustic microphones to detect earthquakes and explosions. These types of sensors are ideal because they can monitor constantly, and scientists can apply remote detection capabilities, not unlike home alarm systems in households and businesses, to monitor activity. 
    To build more accurate alarms, volcano scientists work to better understand key eruption characteristics of volcanic eruptions.
    In a recent study, USGS volcano observatory researchers joined international volcano scientists to examine two types of eruptive activity at Stromboli volcano, which erupts frequently. 
    The scientists were interested in discovering differences between discrete explosive eruptions compared to sustained eruptions (called jet eruptions for their similarity to a jet engine on a plane).  The two eruption types have different implications for hazardous conditions at Stromboli.  The motivation of the study is a better understanding of these events, at Stromboli, that can be applied to similar types of volcanic activity occurring around the globe.
Image of jetting eruption at Stromboli volcano Italy (left), the orientation of the sensor compared to the
eruption direction (center) and a close image of the hovering UAS with the sensor on tether below.
Image on right by David Fee.   

    Explosive eruptions are characterized by their impulsive onset and tend to radiate energy equally in all directions.  These types of eruptions may throw rocks in all directions.  At Stromboli, sustained jets have longer durations and produce a directed plume of ash and rocks away from the vent.  The events are analogous to jet engine dynamics and such volcanic jetting can push ash to heights beyond international airline traffic altitudes.
    From a volcano monitoring perspective, it is useful to understand the types of signatures that these events produce and how they are recorded on standard volcano monitoring networks.  However, networks are hindered because seismic and acoustic sensors are almost always placed on the ground surface and are not ideal for the capture of eruption energetics into the atmosphere. 
    The research team working in Italy attempted to improve our understanding of eruption dynamics by placing an acoustic sensor on a small stationary Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS, or drone) helicopter above Stromboli to capture both explosions and jet eruptions.  The work revealed key features of the two event types that allow them to be easily distinguished by a sensor briefly suspended above the volcano.
HVO staff recently installed a new webcam—the B2cam—on the down-dropped block within Kīlauea caldera and east rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater. This camera view replaces that of the B1cam, which was moved east during the June 2023 Halema‘uma‘u eruption because it was being exposed to intense heat. The B2cam is located farther south than B1cam was, on a ledge that stands about 100 feet (30 meters) higher. The B2cam provides a low-angle westward view of Halema‘uma‘u crater floor. USGS Photo by M. Zoeller
    This particular experiment in Italy is impractical from the perspective of long-term eruption monitoring. However, it demonstrated the ability to capture these data and identified constraints on how to design better ground networks to monitor the wide variety of eruption types.  This work introduces methods for improved monitoring and detection of volcanic eruptions at United States and international volcanoes, which in turn improves situational awareness and volcanic response.
Ka‘ū Calendar September 2023
5,000 in the mail and 1,500 on the street.
See www.kaucalendar.com
    The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory currently uses UAS techniques to measure volcanic gas and conduct aerial imagery surveys to generate three-dimensional models. Experiments by other volcano scientists show that applications of UAS technology are continuing to develop and expand. If you want to learn more about experiments of this type, please check out this recent publication in Geophysical Research Letters (2023).
    Volcano Activity Updates: Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY. 
    Active lava has not been visible within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea since June 19. During the week ending Thursday Aug. 31, elevated earthquake activity continued in an area south of Kīlauea’s summit caldera. Kīlauea summit tiltmeters generally showed slow inflation. A sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate of approximately 75 tonnes per day was measured on August 24.
    Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL. Webcams show no signs of activity on Mauna Loa. Seismicity remains low. Summit ground deformation rates indicate slow inflation as magma replenishes the reservoir system following the recent eruption. SO2 emission rates are at background levels. 
    There was one earthquake with three or more felt reports in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M2.9 earthquake 3 km (2 mi) SW of Pāhala at 30 km (19 mi) depth on August 27 at 3:14 a.m. HST.
    HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. Visit HVO’s website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake information, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.


Captains La‘a Kajiwara-Ke and Ocean Nihipali-Sesson lead the Trojans onto the field for the
first home game. Photo by Mark Peters
PHOTO STORIES FROM SATURDAY'S OPENING HOME FOOTBALL GAME FOR KA‘Ū TROJANS are available. The Trojans lost 23 to 8 but made a comeback in the second quarter to score and succeed in a two-point conversion. They played Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy's Kamakani from Waimea.
The next game is away, this Thursday at Kamehameha School in Kea‘au. 
Trojan cheerleaders show their support for the team, displaying their jersey numbers at the first home game. Photo by Mark Peters
Trojans warm up for their first home game of the season against HPA on Saturday. Photo by Mark Peters
Trojan offensive line protects Quarterback Diyah Ellis Reyes. Offensive line, left to right, is comprised of #75 Kayson Pagan,#64 Triton Blanco, #53 Dakota Seaver, #53 Oli Silva-Kamei, #77 Dominic Nurial-Dacalio and Tight End #33 Joe Buyuan.
Photo by Mark Peters
Trojans defense protects against HPA's Kamakani pass attack. Ka‘ū defense was led by Joe Buyuan with 13 tackles playing in his first game this year. Dominic Nurial-Dacalio had another strong game on defense with ten tackles. He leads the team in
tackles. Photo by Mark Peters

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